The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission is hosting a three-day technical conference on Human Capital Development (HCD) from 8th -10th May in Accra, Ghana. The conference aims to engage with Member States’ focal points, partners, and ECOWAS technical staff on the importance of prioritizing HCD in social and economic agendas at regional and national levels.
The 2024 ECOWAS HCD Technical Conference will bring together Member State HCD focal points, technical staff from the Commission, and key stakeholders with expertise and interest in HCD. External financial and technical partners from institutions such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the Tony Blair Institute (TBI), and the World Bank will also participate to foster knowledge sharing and collaboration.
The Human Capital Development strategy, approved by Heads of State in July 2021, aims for ECOWAS to become the leading HCD performer in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030. The strategy focuses on critical areas such as Health and Nutrition, Education, Skills and Labor Market Participation, Entrepreneurship, Financial Inclusion, and Digital Economy.
ECOWAS created an HCD index to monitor progress towards the 2030 objectives, with the first biennial HCD Report released in 2022 and the second report scheduled for June 2024.
"Human Capital Development is a key condition in achieving both regional and national social and economic development goals." The ECOWAS Commission, in collaboration with Member States, is working on actions and initiatives to support the 2030 targets. Currently, some Member States have developed national HCD strategy documents, with others in the process of developing theirs.
The ECOWAS Human Capital Development technical conference is timely as the regional strategy enters its second phase, aiming to enhance visibility and initiate HCD interventions at regional and national levels.
Alerts Sign-up